Network assisted sensing on a shared band for local communications

摘要

To find a D2D channel, by example a shared channel for offload traffic from an allocated D2D channel, a cellular network access node sends a configuration message with parameters (e.g., sensing time, frequency band, sensing mechanism, cyclic shift) for a D2D device to sense spectrum. From results of this spectrum sensing is decided whether to utilize a frequency band, sensed according to the parameters, for D2D communications. In an embodiment the network selects a subframe configuration to set the sensing time, in which different subframe configurations have different-length guard periods which is the sensing time. In embodiments a first sensing is within a guard period and represents coarse sensing results and if those are not sufficient the network configures a longer sensing time (e.g., spanning multiple subframes) for finer sensing results. The network or alternatively the D2D device decides whether to use the sensed frequency band for offload traffic.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
utilizing parameters in a configuration message communicated downlink between a network access node and a user equipment for setting at least a sensing time during which the user equipment performs spectrum sensing; and deciding from at least a result of the spectrum sensing whether to utilize a frequency band sensed according to the parameters for direct local communications between the user equipment and at least one paired device, in which the method is executed by the network access node which sends the configuration message and which sends to the user equipment an indication of the result of the deciding at least for the case the access node approves the frequency band for the direct local communications.